Chapter 14

Third-year ended, the Defence teacher swallowed one of their own poisons and the summer holidays passed with little incident. Bill graduated with honours and had secured a job with Gringotts. His letters regaled me with anecdotes gleaned from more experienced Curse Breakers and hinted at what he might be working with. I tucked them away in plastic pockets and did my best not to forget about them.

Percy and Charlie were in touch less frequently. Percy was undoubtedly preparing for his monstrous workload in the upcoming year—if my memory served me correctly, he was another Time-Turner recipient—while Charlie had managed to tag along with the Ministry office responsible for monitoring dragons.

I didn't visit the Burrow that summer. I was too busy to consider plunging into the homely chaos that was the Weasley steadhold. Besides, I'd have more contact with the Weasleys than ever before in the new school year, with the arrival of the twins to Hogwarts. I added a note to try and curb the twins more ruthless prank ideas to my ever-growing to-do list.

All too quickly, the summer months blurred past in a mix of letters, work and study, like the view from a train hurtling at full speed down a track. And then I was on just such a train, coming home to Hogwarts again.

—tN—tN—tN—

"Did you have a good summer, Professor?"

McGonagall gave a wan smile. We were meeting in her office again like we had done many times the previous year. On her desk was a phial with a new mandrake leaf, ready for my third attempt at brewing the Animagus potion.

"It was quite satisfactory, thank you. And yourself?"

"Busy. Lot of time reading and working."

"Working?"

"I'm trying to scrape together some savings for when I leave school. I don't really have much and I don't want to rely on charity..." My feet scuffed at the ground as I fidgeted. I didn't like bringing up my background if I could help it, not least because I always felt like a liar to talk about the children's home and not mention my previous life. It didn't make sense, but it still bugged me.

"Excellent diligence and foresight," McGonagall said, her expression turning sympathetic and.. Understanding? Just for a moment, then she was all business again. "Now then, onto the matter at hand. Your efforts at the Animagus potion were satisfactory last year and I see no reason not to continue your efforts this year so long as you keep up your grades. Do you wish to continue?"

I nodded assent and she pushed the phial over to me. I waited until she nodded her approval then popped the mandrake leaf into my mouth and pushed it to one side so it rested between my gum and my cheek. It tasted disgusting, like usual.

"Very good. Make sure to be careful and notify me of anything that may impact the process. In a month's time, weather permitting, we can attempt the next phase."

Soggy leaf in mouth, I thanked the Professor for her time and made my way out of her office. I had another appointment to keep.

—tN—tN—tN—

"Is there a reason you wanted to meet me up here, Profe—Albus?"

'Here' was—in this case—the top of the Astronomy tower. While far from the most private place in the castle, it did have the benefit of only having one easily-monitored entrance. And the view from the top at sunset was quite impressive.

"An old man's whimsy, Poe. Please forgive me my eccentricities," Albus said, smiling genially. "As you quite rightfully wish to avoid being seen in my office where possible, there are a limited number of locations in which to meet undisturbed. But enough of that. How are you doing, Poe? I gather your Animagus work is coming along well?"

"It's going alright," I said, prodding the cheek that hid the mandrake leaf. "This is my third attempt and probably not my last."

"Regretfully likely, I'm afraid. Alas, we do not place the same emphasis on the transfiguration of the self as our brethren in Uganda. There I believe it is not uncommon for students to acquire the skill by your age. Nonetheless, I have faith in your ability and perseverance. I know Minerva must as well, else she would not be still teaching you."

I shrugged awkwardly. I'd read about Uagadou, the African school of magic hidden in the Mountains of the Moon and been intrigued by the differences between their curriculum and that of Hogwarts. A part of me longed to travel to all the different schools and learn all they had to teach me but I was rather firmly rooted in Hogwarts by many factors. The unwillingness of many such institutions to entertain foreign guests being foremost among them.

"Thank you, Albus. Aside from my extra-curricular lessons with Professor McGonagall, I'm still working on my own projects. No major breakthroughs yet, but I've figured out some stuff that I just need to find a way to combine. Still haven't mastered the Patronus Charm though, sorry." I cast about for any other news I may have that Albus may find of interest. It was a lot like dealing with one of my parents, albeit without as much pressure or judgement. "The Weasley twins have pestered me a few times for tips on getting around the castle without being caught. I'm not sure where they got the impression that I do that much sneaking, but they seem convinced that I'm an expert."

"I rather suspect that your methods of stealth, whereby you contrive to always belong in the area you wish to enter and consequently go unquestioned, would not be amenable to the twins," Albus said, chuckling quietly. I wanted to refute that I'd done such a thing, but... I did tend to use appointments with teachers or with Bill to wander into the Room of Requirement or a few of the other private chambers in the Castle.

"Regardless, they're moderately pleasant to deal with. Hopefully, I can convince them to refrain from some of the more... Dangerous endeavours that I can remember."

"Ah yes, we're drawing closer to the true start of your knowledge, aren't we?" Albus mused. "In just two years time, Harry will be walking off that train and into this school... When he comes, do you intend to talk to him?"

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps not to reveal the extent of your knowledge of him, but to guide him perhaps? To befriend him? You are quite a talented young student and I'm sure you could impart quite a lot of benefit to him, both in wisdom and magic."

I tossed the thought around my head for a few moments before shaking my head dismissively.

"No, I won't approach him. If for some reason he comes to me for help then I'll try to accommodate him, but I won't initiate anything. Not unless I see something very badly wrong. It'd feel... Awkward."

"I see, that does make sense," Albus said, long beard swaying as he nodded. "You are not the most social of creatures after all. There is much to be said for your admirable patience, however. Please, do not hold your tongue any longer. Ask whatever is on your mind."

I sighed and tried to go through the motions of Occlumency. It was likely that Albus wasn't even using Legillimency, but it was a good habit to be in.

"How are things going? With the plans, I mean?"

"Ah, on that front I have many items of good news!" Albus said, a genuine smile breaking out. "I have secured the trust and ear of Amelia Bones and convinced Rufus Scrimgeour enough to earn his cooperation. Between them, it is likely that Sirius may be released within the year, though he will likely require considerable investigation and therapy before his innocence is confirmed and he is declared mentally stable."

"I think he was only as functional as he was last time because he had a distinct objective in mind, catching Pettigrew." I nodded. "So long as he was working towards catching him, he could keep himself together enough for him to readjust slightly. He was still a bit cracked though, I think. Though that may have just been his normal self, given the stories of his youth that I've heard."

"Indeed. Regardless, he should be able to meet with Harry without too much of a delay. And that is not a reunion that I wish to delay any longer than necessary. On other news, our negotiations with Gringotts are ongoing. While I am still considering entering the Lestrange vault by force, I've been assured by Madam Bones that there is a precedent for situations like this. You were quite right in insisting I share that particular piece of information with the Ministry, by the way. I'm afraid I'd grown far too used to secrecy. As it stands, I do not believe that either Madam Bones or Rufus are likely to divulge anything carelessly."

"In the original timeline, they both died defying Riddle," I said, voice soft. "Scrimgeour, in particular, was the Minister at the time and took Harry's location to the grave."

"I see," Albus said, similarly sombre. "That is as definitive a proof of their strength of character as we are likely to get, I believe. Regardless, we will have possession of the Cup one way or another by the time Harry enters Hogwarts. Of that I'm sure."

"We have the Diadem already," I said, listing the Horcruxes out on my fingers. "We'll have to wait for Lucius Malfoy to use the Diary. Getting the Locket will be easiest with Sirius's cooperation. The Cup will take a while. And... You did secure the Ring, didn't you? I can't remember exactly."

"I did," Dumbledore promised. "However strong the temptation, I was able to secure it without taking the injuries I did last time. And that brings us to the last Horcrux and the most troublesome one."

"Almost last," I corrected him. "Technically there will be another one, likely made from a snake, that hasn't been made yet. But yes, Harry will be the most dangerous one."

We both fell silent. There was nothing to be said. We knew the circumstances that would give Harry a chance at surviving, knew the gamble that we would have to take. The alternative did not bear thinking about. If Dumbledore's research had turned up any possibilities, then that would have been the first topic of discussion, I knew.

The sun was setting, painting the sky in streaks of brilliant purple and pink. The view from the Astronomy Tower really was fantastic. I could almost imagine I was on a broom again, hurtling toward my destination without a care in the world. Feeling nothing but the rush of wind and thrill of exhilaration.

But humans were not designed for flight and all broom riders must someday land. I no longer feared heights in the same way and dreaded the moment that the sky would be closed to me and I was forced to tread in the mud once more. We were just dreaming, Albus and I. We plotted and planned and predicted. We toiled to make those dreams a reality, to set a stage that would not permit our nightmares to play. But a time would come when things were no longer in the abstract when a dark decision we had no right to make would have to be made.

We stayed and watched the sunset for a while longer.

—tN—tN—tN—

I was dragged out to Quidditch matches every now and then by Charlie, never quite enjoying them but humouring him anyway. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't have minded the opportunity to observe a Triwizard Tournament. Displays of magical power and raw cunning were far more interesting than any kind of sport.

I relented and told the Twins about a few of the secrets I found around the castle—in my defence, searching for hidden rooms was good practice for some of the spells I found—and gave them some pointers on spellwork. Especially in Defence.

The latest in the long line of Defence Against the Dark Arts professors was moderately competent but was distinctly off-putting for some reason. He was eventually caught rooting through the Artefact room for items to steal and sell on. He may have gotten away with it except that he somehow stumbled upon a concealed compartment containing a rather fine set of gloves. Cursed gloves that distorted his body after putting them on and changing his thievery into an illogical obsession. By the time Dumbledore restrained him and removed the gloves, he no longer even looked human.

He was in Mungo's now, with a cell in Azkaban waiting for him whenever he recovered. I would have more sympathy if various students' belongings—including several treasured keepsakes—hadn't been found in his office.

That was the 'high' point of the year. Aside from that, I failed to brew the Animagus potion five more times, the last of which failed at the last step. Professor McGonagall was didn't bat an eye and congratulated me on doing as well as I had. With a bit of luck, I'd manage to complete the potion in time for my OWLs, which would be a nice bonus towards my Transfiguration grade.

Not that I needed much of an extra boost in my spellwork subjects. A few months into my fourth year, I made a breakthrough at the end of a prolonged training session in the Room of Requirement.

—tN—tN—tN—

"Alohomora."

The chest lid swung open and released a grand total of eight bludgers. I'd practiced against that number before, each time taking over a quarter of an hour to subdue all of them. Now I was making my third attempt of the evening at attempting to complete the task in under ten minutes.

"Impedimenta! Stupefy! Arresto Mometum! Ventus! Glacius!"

I was faster now, my wand tracing out the spells as fast as I could call them. Slightly faster, if I was being honest. My motor skills were still generally poor, but I managed to burn the required wand motions for a number of spells into them, one at a time. And now it was paying dividends.

Three of the bludgers avoided my spells, but one dropped dead out of the air and another was trapped in a block of ice. On instinct, I cast "Protego!" conjuring a shield—now a solid dome rather than a flimsy wall—just in time to deflect a quartet of hammer blows. The bludgers broke off and circled around me instead of pursuing their attack. They had learned by this point that they could not break my shield. On the other hand, they also knew that I'd have to lower the barrier at some point if I wanted to stop them, which was the opening they were waiting for.

Ultimately, turtling up behind my shield and only dropping it briefly to take potshots was the safest and easiest way fo dealing with so many targets. It was also utterly pointless.

It was a slow strategy that sometimes took over half an hour to bear fruit. The bludgers didn't actually have any openings to exploit either. They didn't get tired or bored while waiting for the shield to drop. And in an actual fight—which I was supposed to be preparing for—my shield would be far from invincible, no matter how stalwart the casting. I had to be faster, more flexible.

I dropped the shield. The bludgers dived.

"Ventus!"

I directed the spell not out but down, spinning the conjured gale into a storm that buffeted in all direction save for up, the force of the wind now strong enough to drastically slow the bludgers even with an indirect hit. The attacking bludgers aborted their runs as they were caught in the spell. All but the one that I predicted was directly above me, out of the spell's area of effect. I flicked my wand around, sending the gust upwards just in time to throw the incoming bludger against a wall with a resounding crack.

"Glacius! Impedimenta! Stupefy! Protego! Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!"

I took out the deflected bludger before being beset by the others. And then I was into a familiar game of dancing and darting around five different flight paths, trying to anticipate them enough to tag them as they went past. I was still too slow. My reflexes were enough to track them, but not fast enough to cast a spell before they were gone.

The clock ticked by. At the five minute mark, I'd failed to disable any further bludgers. I even took a few glancing blows from them to my left forearm and shin. They didn't hurt, but it was a useful reminder that reckless strategies had their consequences. I slashed my wand again and again, tracing through the same spell so fast it was a blur.

"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy! Studefy—"

My tongue slipped and the resulting misfire turned my vision into a field of dark spots and threw me against the nearest wall.

I rolled to one side to avoid another bludger and picked myself up, resisting the urge to cast another Shielding Charm. I raised my wand again and set aside my frustration. I focused on nothing but the five darting targets, tracking their erratic paths.

"Stupefy. Stupefy. Stupefy."

I tagged another one, leaving me with only four. I moved away from the wall, spinning and ducking to keep them in sight.

"Stupefy. Stupefy. Stupefy. Stupefy."

It was maddening. Taking my time casting was more reliable than just firing off as fast as I could, but it was also too slow. There were less than two minutes remaining and the last few were determined to avoid capture.

"Stupefy. Stupefy. Stupefy. Stupefy."

Stupefy.

I'd been focusing so intently on everything. Every nuance of every syllable of the incantation. Every last motion of the wand movement. Somewhere in the middle of casting, something clicked and I was no longer forcing the spell out. It just clicked. Stupefy.

A red jet of sparks shot out of my wand without a word crossing my lips. It missed, of course, but that was beside the point. The game no longer mattered. The time limit was irrelevant. All that mattered was whether or not I could do it again. And again. Until I could do it every time.

I engaged the bludgers with a grin on my face. I looked absurd, no doubt. Half the time, I brandished my wand to absolutely no effect but then, as the pieces began to fit into place again, they came faster and faster. Silent Stunning spells. No speaking required, no risk of a stutter or slip of the tongue messing up the spell.

I brought down the last bludger eighteen seconds after the twelve minute mark. But that was alright. Next time would be different.